Grouping mechanism for voting-machines.



.No. 832,014. PATENTED SEPT. 25, 1906.

w. I. T. POSDIGK. GROUPING MECHANISM FOR VOTING MACHINES.

'APPLIOAT ION FILED OCT. 31. 1905- f ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE;

-WILLIAM I. T. FOSDICK, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, vASSIGNOR TO TRIUMPHVOTING-MACHINE COMPANY, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHU- SETTS, A CORPORATION OFNEW JERSEY.

GHOUPING MECHANISM FOR VOTING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1906.

Application filed October 31, 1905- Serial No. 286,233.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM I. T. Fos-' DICK, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Bridgeportmounty of Fairfield, State of Connecticut,have invented a new and useful Grouping Mechanism for Voting-Machines,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that portion of the mechanism of avoting-machine that has to do with group voting, so called. The termgroup voting is used as broadly descriptive' of a style of voting whichpermits votersto vote for more than one candidate 'for the sameoffice-as, for example, in voting for a plurality of members of a board,commission, court, or a delegation of two or more members. Suppose, asan illustration, that three justices of the supreme court are to beelected and that the several parties have each made three nominationsfor that ofiice'.

The invention is shown as applied to a machine in which the names ofpartycan'didates are laced in vertical columns, and the names llcandidates for the same office are placed in horizontal lines, the nameof each candidate being in its roper party-column. The machine is provied with horizontally-placed chains corresponding with the horizontallines of names of candidates, the act of voting bein performed bymovement of voting mem ers which when actuated roduce a bend or slack inthe chain, each c ain being tightened up so as to'have but one slack init, thusmaking it normally impossible for a voter to vote for but onecandidate for any office.

. In the present instance I have shown the act of voting as performed bymeans of voting shafts which when oscillated cause corres ondinglocking-dogs to press uponthe ciiains and make a bend or slack therein.I shall not describe the voting mechanism in detail, however, for thereason that it forms no Iportion of the present invention.

he present invention consists in certain constructions and in certainparts, improvements, and combinations to adapt a votingmachine for groupvoting, which permit groups of chains to be so connected up as to permita number of votes corresponding with the number of chains in the groupto be cast in accordance with the will of the voter, all in one line orin different lines, as preferred, it

being impossible, however, for the voter to cast but one vote for anycandidate or more votes for the ofiice than there are chains in thegroup.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, inwhich reference characters are used to indicate the several parts,Figure 1 is a detail elevation illustrati-ng the construction andoperation of my novel grouping mechanism; Fig. 2, an enlarged detallsectional view on the line 2 2 in Figs. 1 and 4 Fig. 3-, a similarsection on the line 3 3 in Figs. 1 and 4,- Fig. 4, an enlarged detailrear elevation, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail elevation correspondingwith Fig. 1, illustrating a slightly-variant form of grouping-plates andmode of attachment.

1O denotes one of the end standards of a voting-machine; 11, the chains12, votingshafts, and 13 locking-dogs carried by the voting-shafts,which engage the chains in the act of voting. The right end of eachchain is fixed in any suitable manner, which forms no portion of thepresent invention. The left end ofeach chain is provided with a threadedshank 14, which passes through an opening in an arm 15, extending from aplate 16, the ad justment of the chains being regulated by nuts 17,which engage the threaded shanks and also engage the opposite sides ofarms 15. 18 denotes links, one end of each link being pivoted to a plate16 and the other to a holdmg-plate 19. These holding-plates and thegroupingplates (indicated by 20) lie ina vertical groove 21, which maybe formed in the standard or in a plate 28, which is secured to ,thestandard by screws 29.

22 denotes a covering-plate which is secured to plate 28 and retains theholding plates and grouping-plates in place in the groove, but withoutinterfering with their freedom of movement.

The holding-plates are shown as angular in configuration and the grooping-plates as angular in Figs. 1 and 4 and as disk-shaped in Fig. 5,so as to present curved bearing-surfaces to the holdingplates. This isan unimportant detail of construction, it being simply required thatthcholding-plates and groupinglates be so shaped as to engage and slidereely on each other, as will be more fully explained. The holdin platesare shown as provided in their un er sides with recesses 23 to receivethe ends of. the links.

. oldi .vertica column, lies between, two groupingd. the vid dl' njtKermit the links to oscillate freely}.

- plate, except those at the endS'Of the 1 plates, which are normallylocked in position by ke s25, which lie in sockets in thegroup-.-

ing p ates,pass through the grouping-plates,

' and engage either plate 28, as shown in Fig. 3-,;

or the standard. should plate 28 be dispensed with... -If preferred, thegroupingeplates may be'locked by screws 26engaging plate 28. as

'shownin Fig, 5, or the standard. "The holcl ing-plates normally haveslight m ov.ement.-' that is to say, they are not held rigidly by thegrouping-plates, as is indicated in Fig. 1;.

y 2? denotes lugs, one lying in front-of eachgr uping-plate to retain itin the groove when the locking key or screw is removed.

- In normal voti g., the grouping plates are all fixed in place,eachichain being so ,adjusted insettin' up the machine as to permit theactuation o 'asinglevoting member, as indicated in Fi 1 connection'withthe'ifiith to the ninth c ains, inclusive", one yoting'member havin beenactuated in each of the corre-i sponding orizontal line's- The operationoffsetting ii fthe'macliine 'for g-rroup voting is illustrate by meansof the t, second, and third c'hainsin Fig; 1;

' It consists-simply in removing certain ofthe keys or screws whichdockthe".groupingplates leaving the groupinglates .free to move laterally,the covjerm -p ate being first removed andthen replace after the group--ing-lplates -have been released.. Inthe pres- ,The keys which look thefirst an ent instancethe first, second, and" third chains havebeenreleased for grou Noting.

grouping-plates have been removed, leaving I them free to move laterallyand permit lon chains, and of course three slacks.

gitudinal movement of the holding-plates to claim which the'rouped"chains are attached, so that the sfacks e be shifted from onechain to another, n the present instance there are three candidates,three grouped The reuirement' is to lace one, two, or three s ticks ineither 0 the chains; but it 'is impossibleto place morethan three slacksanywhere. By removing the keys which look the'two correspondinggrouping-plates said groupingplates'are permitted to slidewlaterally anincreased longitudinal movement is given to the holding lates to permiteither one or two additiona slacks to be placed in either of the chains.

to vote for one candidate in each of the hori- Should the voterdesire'zontal lines corresponding with. the three grouped chains, theoperation would be normal and there would'be no lateral movement of thereleased grouping plates. Asillustrajted,

. in Fig. 1, however the voterhas elected to' vote for three candidatesin. the second horizontal line and has actuated 'thre'e voting gioupinplates are shown; as lfdeirunder sides with recesses 24 to' Eachoperation and mode of setting up t second,

'membersin that horizontal line. effect has been'to take the slacks outof the first and third chains and transfer them to the second chain,which now has three slacks, two in ad- ,dition to its normal .slack.This resulthas been effected by the action; of thethree voting members,which in puttingtbe three slacks intothe second chain have drawn thehold- -i ng plate'0f'the second chain forwardto the limit of itsmovement; This movement of the second-holding-glate, through'theengagement of'said liol ing-plate, with the first and second grouing-plates, -has moved said groupin plates aterally in oppositedirections,w 'fch'i1iturn have force the first and vthirdholding-platesbackward to the limit of their "movernent, softhat th'e first and third"chains will be perfectly ta'ut and the slacks of the three chains willall beplaced in the second' chain. Should vthe voter refer, hemightvfiote for two candidates either of the three horizontal linesof'names of candidates and one in either of the o ther'lines or for onein eachof the lines. In other words, the

voter ht'vote for anyone, two, or three of the" can idates nominated ineither of said three horizontal lines of names of candidates,

birt could only vote for threecandidates under any circumstances. Thesame 1principle of' e machine is applicable where two,.fou r, five,ormore candidates are to be voted for in a group within the limits of themachine;

only. would be released, which of course would be "the grouping-platelying between 7 Should two chains only be grouped, one grouping-plateIOO the holding-plates of the two chains that i were to be grouped.Should four chains be grouped, three grouping-plates would be released.Should five chains be grouped,-four grouping-plates wouldbe released,andso on. Having thus described my invention, I

1. Ida mechanism of the character described, the combination with aplurality of chains and holding-plates to which the. chains arerespectively connected at one end, the

other ends being fixed, of laterally-movable grouping-plates lyingbetween the holdinglates, the said chains being mounted to ave apredetermined amount of slack( 2. In a mechanism of the charac'ter'de:

scribed, the combinationwith a plurality of chains and holding-plates towhich the chains are respectively connected at-one end, the other endsbeing fixed, of laterally-movablegrouping-plates lying between theholdin 7 plates, and means for locking the groupingplates when themachine .is' being used for other than. group-voting, the said chainsbe--" 'ing mounted to have a predetermined amount of slack.

,3. In a .mechanism ofthe character described,the-combination with .aplurality of 'chains,,.holdi ng-plates to..which the chains arerespectively connected at one end," the other ends being fixed, andlaterally-movable grouping-plates lying between the holding plates, of aplate provided with a longitudinal groove to receive, the holding-platesand on ing-plates and means for retaining said olding-plates andgrouping-plates in the cove without interfering with their free' om ofmovement, the said chains being mounted to have a predetermined amountof slack.

4. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with aplurality of chains, threaded shanks at the ends of the chains and lates16 provided with arms to which the shanks are adjustably secured, ofholding lates, links connecting plates 16 to the hol in -platesrespectively, and laterally movab e roupin -plates lying between. theholding-p ates, t e said chains being mounted to have a predeterminedamount of slack.

' spondingly-shaped laterall *-movable grouping-plates lying between t eholding-plates, the said chains being mounted to have a predeterminedamount of slack.

6. In a mechanism of the character de- I scribed, the combination with aplurality of chains, and holding-plates having recesses in their undersides in which the ends of the chains are pivotally secured, oflaterallymovable rouping-plates lying between the holding-pIates, thesaid chains being mounted to have a predetermined amount of slack. 7. Ina mechanism of the character described, the combination with a pluralityof chains, and holding-plates to which the chains are pivotallyconnected at one end, the other ends being fixed, of laterally-movablerouping-plates lying between the holding- Iates and means for retainingthe holding and grouping plates in place without interfering with theirfreedom of movement, the said chains being mounted to have apredetermined amount of slack.

8. In a mechanism of the character de scribed, the combination with aplurality of chains, holding-plates to which the chains are pivotallyconnected at one end, the other ends being fixed, and laterally-movablegrouping-plates lying. between the holdingplates, of a late 28 having agroove to receive the ho ding and grouping-plates, lugs on said platefor retaining the grouping plates .in the groove, and acovering-platesecured to plate 28 by which the holdingplatesand'grouping-plates are retained in place without interfering with theirfreedom of movement, the said chains being mounted to have apredetermined amount of slack.

9. In a mechanism of the character de scribed, the combination with aplurality of chains each having at its end a threaded shank, plates 16having arms through which the shanks pass, nuts on opposite sides ofsaid arms whereby the shanks are ad'ustably secured thereto, ofholding-plates, links by which plates 16 are connected to theholdinglates and laterally-movable groupin -plates ying between theholding-plates, tie said chains being mounted to have a predeterminedamount of slack.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM I. T. FOSDICK.

Witnesses:

A. M. WOOSTER, S. W. ATHERTON.

